Behind the scenes of Boeing's Dreamliner project (photos)

New book showcases the entire development of Boeing's oft-delayed 787 Dreamliner with stunning imagery.

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787s coming down the assembly line

If you've got an aviation fan in the family, or anyone who is particularly interested in Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, a new book by Edgar Turner, in my opinion, is a must-get this holiday season. Turner, a Boeing photographer, spent several years meticulously documenting the making of the 787, and his new book, "The Birth of the 787 Dreamliner" is a candy store's worth of stunning images from throughout the new airplane's long--and admittedly, much delayed-development process. Filled with hundreds of fantastic never seen images and which could only be taken by someone on the inside, the book illustrates the process as never before.

Seen here are four 787s on the assembly line at Boeing's Everett, Wash., plant.

787 in flight

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner flying a test flight. The airplane--which is expected to be delivered commercially in 2011--is made from 50 percent composites, 20 percent aluminum, 15 percent titanium, 10 percent steel, and 5 percent other materials. It is expected to offer airlines up to a 20 percent reduction in fuel burn thanks to the composite materials.

787 over mountain

In this image, a 787 Dreamliner flies for the first time with a General Electric GEnx engine, on June 16, 2010. According to Boeing, "The GEnx engine is the second of two engine types offered to customers on the 787 Dreamliner. [Other 787s] already in the flight test fleet are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines."

Nose construction

First flight

On Dec. 15, 2009, after several years of delays, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner finally made its first flight. Thousands of Boeing employees, aviation fans, and members of the media, attended the event at Paine Field in Everett, Wash.

Horizontal stabilizers joined with tail cone

According to the book, "the horizontal stabilizers and tail cone are joined in the pre-integration so that when they arrive at the next position, they can be joined efficiently to the aft section of the airplane."

Cockpit mockup

Loading up the Dreamlifter

To transport sections of the 787's fuselage, Boeing built a series of specially-designed 747-400s. The huge airplanes are known as the Dreamlifters, and here, we see sections of 787 fuselage being loaded onto a Dreamlifter.

Flight training

According to Boeing, the aviation giant's Training & Flight Services "has started 787 Dreamliner flight certification training following the provisional approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for Boeing's Seattle-based 787 flight training devices. As part of flight training, pilots train on a 787 flat panel training device and a 787 full-flight simulator."

787 trainer

Extreme weather testing

Seen here, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner "is in Valparaiso, Fla., at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base for a series of extreme-weather tests. The airplane is in a special hangar where it is being tested in extreme-cold temperatures, minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 43 Celsius). Hot-weather testing at 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius) will be conducted in the same facility in the days ahead."